almost got my nipple pierced for my 30th birthday...who knows maybe at 40...smiles...this is more than a piercing though and many do carry those hidden sides no one sees...and sometimes maybe they do...nice write...i like the use of the chorus through out as well..

No comment on the piercings, etc. (I'm old.) But the message in this is awesome. It is so true that what we see is not always the person who lives beneath the facade. I was a supervisor most of my life, and one of my management tools was to look at each person as an individual, with individual thoughts and situations. As much as possible, I got to know the people who worked with me, and tried to deal with each in a way that would inspire them to do their best. It usually worked, but not always.Great write!

Nothing here offended me, J Cosmo..I came back again to see what I might have said that might have given that impression. Now I am confused, as I had thought the rings were for piercings....but now I am wondering if I missed the point.

Oh man- this is a subject so close to my heart. I've encountered prejudice with regards to this before - in my current job- I got questioned as to why I decided to leave my ear stretchings in for the interview. My answer was 'in my entire career and working for some of the biggest banks in the world it has never been a problem or caused a problem for with my documented high performance- but I'm glad you raised it....' ha ha- it makes me smile how tattoos and piercings are even problematic...considering that humans (and yes- we continue to be humans even in the workplace ) have been decorating their bodies for thousands of years. I gave one full sleeve tattooed (right arm) my back is tattooed...my legs are tattooed and my ear lobes are stretched- it amazed me that even thigh I had delivered record breaking performances - it was commented that if you didn't know me- you would 'cross the street' to avoid me...nice! I guess people are afraid about what they don't understand! Anyway! I'm rambling! Your poem was so lyrical - I love the chorus...and the message contained within is such a good one and so thought provoking....you can see from this essay that it struck a nerve with me! Bravo...great writing

In a way, we are all always putting on some sort of act... we all have our secrets, our skeletons in the closet, our piercings... this is a wonderful piece on humanity, love the chorus that brings it home.

Our little or big secrets make us who we are. It's healthy and wise to keep them under wraps. The world makes up its own mind about who we are anyway. It's nice to keep them in the dark. Thanks for such a thoughtful piece!

The basic premise is familiar, about not judging a book... but you sly dog, you got that nipple ring going. Then the allusion to the steel rings of all sorts in each person, whether pride, envy, secret shame, self-loathing... brilliant poem. Thanks, and peace, and my blog doesn't have that wrinkled-up word thing, so here's a link for you! Amyhttp://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/06/07/fortress-in-mind/